At any gathering you will see a ton of people in Italian looking armor with an armet. Another significant portion wearing a sallet but with either Italian styled armor or English armor, and virtually no one in fluted Gothic armor.

Is it too expensive to make? Is it not historical or do people hate the look? Does the wasp waist or the protruding crotch mail make people feel uncomfortable? Or is their some unwritten rule that no Gothic armor is allowed on non-German reenactments?

While you can go and pick up a very basic kit of armour at a more or less decent price these days - at least good enough for most reenactment events - almost anywhere, it is much harder to find someone to make you a nice fluted set.

It might also be harder to pick&mix your armour pieces - as many people who buy their kit over a long period of time tend to do rather than get it all in one go - because non-matching fluting is quite likely much more jarring than not perfectly matching italian armour.Europe - Where the History comes from. - Eddie Izzard

Yeah, I LOVE Gothic armor! But I can't afford it--couldn't even afford it back in the old days when folks were using pretty crappy cheap stuff. REALLY can't afford it now that my standards are higher! And I can't make it. Probably at least partly why I never got serious about doing the 15th century, which is a really COOL era.

I'm the same. I love Gothic plate but doubt I'll ever own a suit. I hope to get a nice sallet made at some point but that will probably be the closest I'll ever get.Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen and Sword Books

Back in my younger days, when I could still ride a horse and was on the jousting circuit, I had a full suit of Gothic plate. I loved it, and so did the ladies. I love the 'wasp waisted' look and all the fluting and fanciness. I wish I still had my pictures, but they got water damaged during a move. Oh well........I can still get another suit. ........McM''Life is like a box of chocolates...'' --- F. Gump

Thanks for all the replies guys. So it is indeed the cost and not the look of it that deters people. I wonder would this have been a historical factor too? Did Gothic armor compete on the same armor market as Milanese white armor with one being significantly cheaper than the other?

Another question which might not fit in the off-topic section; How does the mail pant (brayyene something) work? Does it have straps on the side or is one supposed to put it on like a normal trouser? Does it have quilted padding and is there any evidence for it protection the whole backside of the upper leg?

There are high gothic armor for low price, but their shaping is not as good if you are very picky. Namely the waist shape is like a barrel.

Many of us don't see the point in buying Gothic plate unless it is made properly. IMO many of the cheaper examples shouldn't be considered Gothic plate at all.Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen and Sword Books

Gothic is the easiest to get wrong. There is waaaaay too much of it over here in the UK if your are trying to portray your standard 1470's English impression and people havent the faintest idea just what owning one of those means as per your status.

Oh look, here is the X University Wars of the Roses group and they have two bad examples of the Helmschmied Sigismund or A21 in there. So several seconds doing the 'oh that looks cool' method of research has gone into them and they have used collections and source material as some kind of shopping catalogue where common sense and thoughtful reconstruction has gone out the window.

I own such a thing and would never wear it unless for some outlandish reason, they are so not typical over here. It is the prime example of when people make bad copies of good armour when they should be attempting good copies of 'bad' i.e the middling and lower sort. Unless your client really is going to do the knight thing properly or you are blinded by the size of his/her wallet!

GriffCurrently working on projects ranging from Elizabethan pageants to a WW1 Tank, Victorian fairgrounds 1066 events and more. Oh and we joust loads!.. We run over 250 events for English Heritage each year plus many others for Historic Royal Palaces, Historic Scotland, the National Trust and more. If you live in the UK and are interested in working for us just drop us a line with a cv.

Gothic is the easiest to get wrong. There is waaaaay too much of it over here in the UK if your are trying to portray your standard 1470's English impression and people havent the faintest idea just what owning one of those means as per your status.

Oh look, here is the X University Wars of the Roses group and they have two bad examples of the Helmschmied Sigismund or A21 in there. So several seconds doing the 'oh that looks cool' method of research has gone into them and they have used collections and source material as some kind of shopping catalogue where common sense and thoughtful reconstruction has gone out the window.

I own such a thing and would never wear it unless for some outlandish reason, they are so not typical over here. It is the prime example of when people make bad copies of good armour when they should be attempting good copies of 'bad' i.e the middling and lower sort. Unless your client really is going to do the knight thing properly or you are blinded by the size of his/her wallet!

Griff

Could you elaborate on this for a little bit? What do you mean with the "as per your status", as in to many people wearing bad copies of top of the line armor?

The thing with the really fancy High Gothic armour is twofold: First, it has a lot of detail. Careful fluting, some very nice lines, and overall the whole package tends to be very well put together. Secondly, and this derives from the first, it costs a lot more. Because of its design and detail, it has to be much more custom-fitted than other types-- all armour should be custom fit for the best effect, of course, but High Gothic is a particularly close fitted and shapely style. As such it is essential to measure many parts of the body.

More metal, advanced hammer-work, and extra time finishing it will only add to the cost. There is a reason some of the best preserved suits of armour out there are from this period-- they were not cheap, so people took care of them.

That said, it is worth taking a look at lower end examples of the style, and also to bear in mind that this was a period where lots of armour was traded back and forth across Europe. Mass-produced Italian armour might have armed troops under Sigismund in his fancy kit, for example.

Italianate armour, I think, is popular among re-enactors because it costs less. It doesn't have as much fluting, rounded forms are easier to shape, and it may not have as many parts to put together (not sure on that last).

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